Seaworthy: An Update on Wyl Menmuir’s Boat restoring Journey

Since we first announced that award-winning author Wyl Menmuir would be joining us at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall to begin work on his new book, Seaworthy, progress has continued apace.

For those who haven’t had the chance to stop by, Wyl has been getting to know Eleana, his 1962 wooden Wayfarer. Eleana is a well-loved vessel with a rich history, sailed by the same family for over 30 years, and a boat now in need of serious care. Restoring her is no small undertaking but that’s a key part of Wyl’s Seaworthy project.

Progress in the Workshop

If you’ve visited the boatbuilding workshop recently, you’ll have seen Wyl steadily working through the process of bringing Eleana back to life. It’s hands-on, methodical work, the kind that demands patience and presence in equal measure, and it’s already feeding richly into the writing at the heart of the project. The challenge Wyl has set himself is a very real one, preparing the boat for a summer crossing from Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly.

A Collaborative Creative Community

One of the most exciting dimensions of the Seaworthy project is the way it’s grown beyond a single writer and a single boat to become something collaborative. Wyl, who is an MA Professional Writing Lecturer at Falmouth University, has been working alongside colleagues and students from across the university, drawing them into the project in a variety of ways.

Filmmaking students have been documenting the restoration, the Head of Art has been present with sketchbook in hand, building an ongoing visual record of the project, while illustration students are working on pieces that interpret and bring the story of the boat to life in their own ways. The result is a multi-layered portrait of a boat being restored and a person working through something, too.

It’s a reminder of what’s possible when creative communities come together around a shared project.

Looking Ahead

With publication of Seaworthy set for early 2028 with Picador, Wyl still has plenty of water to cross. He’ll be hosting a launch on 21 May ahead of his summer crossing to the Isles of Scilly, marking the culmination of months of work in the workshop and a milestone in the writing of the book.

Visitors are welcome to come and watch the restoration in progress, you can also follow his journey on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates as the work continues.

Visit Wyl in the boatbuilding workshop on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until 21 May.